(WSVN) - A South Florida man got an unexpected upgrade after a crook left him stranded.
He was cleaning mangroves when someone stole his kayak. Now, his passion is paying off, as the community came to his rescue.
“I’m here with the kayak,” said Andrew Otazo, whose kayak was stolen. “It is gorgeous. It is amazing. Thank you so much.”
Otazo was overwhelmed and grateful after a good Samaritan donated a kayak to him days after his was stolen.
Passionate about the environment, Otazo spends his time picking up trash in South Florida’s waterways — something’s he’s been doing the last four years.
When he was out last Saturday, his worst fear finally happened.
“I was out there for the fifth time cleaning up the small island, and I collected 385 pounds of trash,” he said. “By the time I was ready to go back onshore and put it back on my kayak and pile it in, I noticed that the kayak was gone.”
Fortunately, he still had his phone with him and was rescued by the county.
Otazo later posted what happened online, which was retweeted and eventually seen by a good Samaritan who had an offer he couldn’t refuse.
“Jodie, who owns the kayak behind me, was kind enough to see that tweet, reached out to me on WhatsApp and told me that since I lost my kayak and she left the United States, she’s living in Costa Rica now, she actually donated the kayak to me, so I can continue my work,” Otazo said. “Just for context, I’ve removed 15,500 pounds of trash from Florida’s mangroves, so far.”
Otazo said despite the temporary setback, he refuses to stop doing what he loves: saving South Florida’s beautiful environments.
“I love the habitat, it’s an incredible area. It’s very important for South Florida’s ecosystem, and it’s just a place where I find peace and quiet,” he said.
For those who wish to join Otazo on future cleanup efforts, he said he posts everything you need to know on his social media accounts, just search for his name, Andrew Otazo.
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